Record fine for Clean Water Act violations

The state says Marisco Ltd. has been in and out of compliance for many years.

The hazardous waste violations involve not just the company’s main boat repair facility, but a separate floating dock known as "Lil Perris" located on the mauka side of the Barbers point deep draft harbor.

"The law requires that you entrap any storm water runoff the sand blasting materials , all the paint, heavy metals and chemicals because all of theat is going into tocean if you don’t clean it up first," said Deputy Environmental Health Director Gary Gill.

The violations were witnessed in 2008.

But officials suspect the practices may have been ongoing since 2005.

"That was happening for a number of years. Our inspectors showed up on the scene and found those violations and we have been negotiating this settlement since then," said EPA spokesman Rich Campbell.

The problems stem from the illegal storage of 48 drums of used oil and other ignitable hazardous waste.

And from the practice of not containing the wastewater and chemicals and heavy metals within the dry dock area.

"Pollutants such as zinc, copper and mercury are toxic to aquatic wild life. That's our main concern they bio-accumulate in the sediment," Campbell said.